MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State men’s volleyball redshirt senior middle attacker Matt Leske (Highwood, Ill./Highland Park) continued to earn praise for his performance during the 2014 season, as he was named to the 2014 Volleyball Magazine All-America Third Team.

Leske was also named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team this season, making him just the fifth player in the storied history of Ball State men’s volleyball to be named to both All-America squads in the same season.

“It’s a great honor for Matt to be recognized as an All-American,” Ball State head coach Joel Walton said. “He had an excellent season and was the foundation of our blocking defense. Matt has been a great three-year starter for our program and has played a large role in helping our block develop into one of the best in the nation. He was also a strong attacker for us this season and really improved his serving game.”

A runner-up for the “Off the Block” Blocker of the Year award and an All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) First Team honoree in 2014, Leske is also just the sixth player in program history to earn All-American honors in consecutive seasons, as he was named to the Volleyball Magazine All-America Third Team in 2013.

Leske finished the 2014 campaign with the second-best blocking average in the nation at 1.54 blocks per set. Over 107 sets played, Leske tallied 22 solo blocks and 143 block assists for a total of 165 blocks. His play at the net helped the Cardinals lead the MIVA and rank second nationally with a 2.96 blocks-per-set average.

Offensively, Leske finished the 2014 campaign with 176 kills and a .386 attack percentage. The redshirt senior posted career-highs in kills (14), digs (6) and tied a career-best in total blocks (12) over the course of the season. He also notched a double-double against Lewis (March 29) with 12 kills and 12 total blocks.

Leske finished his Ball State career ranked ninth in program history with 431 total blocks, while his 373 block assists are sixth in school annals. Leske also concluded his career ranked sixth in the Cardinals’ record books with a 1.44 career blocks-per-set average.

Since men’s volleyball became a varsity sport at Ball State during the 1964 season, a total of 26 student-athletes have combined to earn 47 All-America honors for the program. In addition, Jim East was a second team All-America selection for the Ball State club team in 1962.

For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men’s volleyball, follow @bsuathletics and @BallStateMVB on Twitter. The team is also on Instagram at @ballstatemvb.